Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands
| Arkansas Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $127,575 |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $37,079,925 |
| Term limits: | Two terms |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Arkansas Constitution, Article 6, Section 1 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands
Tommy Land | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 3, 2026 |
| Last election: | November 8, 2022 |
| Other Arkansas Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Commissioner of Education • Agriculture Secretary • Insurance Commissioner • Commissioner of State Lands • Natural Resources Exec. Director • Labor Director • Public Service Commission | |
The Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands is one of seven elected constitutional officers in Arkansas' executive branch. The commissioner has chief authority over Arkansas' landed interests and serves as the chairperson for the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, among other responsibilities. The commissioner is elected every four years and is limited to two terms per lifetime.[1]
Current officeholder
The current Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands is Tommy Land (R). Land assumed office in 2019.
Authority
The Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands' powers, term of office, etc. are derived from Article 6, Section 1 of the Arkansas Constitution.
Article 6, Section 1:
| The executive department of this State shall consist of a Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer of State, Auditor of State and Attorney General, all of whom shall keep their offices in person at the seat of government and hold their offices for the term of two years and until their successors are elected and qualified, and the General Assembly may provide by law for the establishment of the office of Commissioner of State Lands. |
Qualifications
There are no specific qualifications for the office of Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands.
Elections
Arkansas elects the commissioner every four years in midterm election years (e.g. 2014, 2018, 2022, etc.).
2022
General election
General election for Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands
Incumbent Tommy Land defeated Goldi Gaines in the general election for Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Tommy Land (R) | 68.8 | 611,723 | |
| Goldi Gaines (D) | 31.2 | 277,750 | ||
| Total votes: 889,473 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Goldi Gaines advanced from the Democratic primary for Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Tommy Land advanced from the Republican primary for Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands.
2018
General election
General election for Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands
Tommy Land defeated Larry Williams and T.J. Campbell in the general election for Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Tommy Land (R) | 60.0 | 530,230 | |
| Larry Williams (D) | 36.7 | 323,682 | ||
| T.J. Campbell (L) | 3.3 | 29,123 | ||
| Total votes: 883,035 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands
Larry Williams advanced from the Democratic primary for Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Larry Williams | |
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands
Tommy Land advanced from the Republican primary for Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Tommy Land | |
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2014
| Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  John Thurston Incumbent |
57.2% | 471,848 | |
| Democratic | Mark Robertson | 36.6% | 302,048 | |
| Libertarian | Elvis D. Presley | 6.2% | 51,518 | |
| Total Votes | 825,414 | |||
| Election results via Arkansas Secretary of State | ||||
Term limits
According to Amendment 73 of the Arkansas Constitution, commissioners are elected to four-year terms and are limited to two terms per lifetime. Prior to the passage of the amendment in 1992, there were no term limits.[2]
Vacancies
According to Article 6, Section 23 of the Arkansas Constitution, a vacancy in the office of Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands can be filled by gubernatorial appointment. The appointment lasts until the next general election.
Duties
- See Energy policy in Arkansas for information on the state's energy portfolio and goals.
Real Estate
The commissioner controls all landed interests of the state of Arkansas.[3] This includes all lands forfeited to the state for payment of taxes.[4] These lands can be sold, or they may be donated to state agencies, state colleges and universities and local governments for public use. If the state claims land and there is dispute about the accuracy of the claim location, the commissioner is in charge of surveying those lands to make an accurate claim for the state.[5]
Natural Resources
The commissioner's office also is in charge of mineral leasing for most state owned lands and waterways. The commissioner serves as the chairperson for the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission. The commission seeks to benefit the state through land leases while also protecting the environment.
Historical
Additionally, the commissioner has duties pertaining to historical preservation. This includes being in charge of materials (including books, maps, plats, etc.) pertaining to "all internal improvement, seminary, saline, and swamp and overflowed lands." The commissioner also has the responsibility to produce township maps for any township including the previously mentioned land types. These maps can be used by anyone "interested in state lands or desiring to purchase any state lands."[6]
Divisions
As of January 8, 2021, divisions within the Commissioner of State Lands office included:[1]
- Real Estate
- Mineral Leasing
- History and Archives
- Waterway Debris
State budget
The budget for the Office of the Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands for Fiscal Year 2025 was $37,079,925.[7]
Compensation
The compensation of all state constitutional officers is set by Amendment 70 to the Arkansas Constitution. Salaries can be adjusted each year by the Arkansas State Legislature, though salary increases cannot exceed the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index.[8]
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was $127,575, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $117,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2021
In 2021, the commissioner received a salary of $120,853, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2020
In 2020, the commissioner received a salary of $118,484 according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2019
In 2019, the commissioner received a salary of $116,160 according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2018
In 2018, the commissioner received a salary of $112,756 according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2017
In 2017, the commissioner received a salary of $112,756 according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2016
In 2016, the commissioner received a salary of $84,999.84.[16]
2015
Ballotpedia was unable to find salary information for the year 2015.
2014
In 2014, the commissioner received a salary of $54,847.92.[17]
2013
The commissioner was paid $54,304.80 for the 2013 fiscal year.[18]
Historical officeholders
There have been 27 lands commissioners since 1868. Of the 27 officeholders, 21 were Democratic and two were Republican. The remaining two had no political affiliation because the office was not an elected position at the time.[19]
| List of officeholders from 1862-Present | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | Party | ||
| 1 | J. M. Lewis | 1868-1872 | NA | ||
| 2 | W. H. Grey | 1872-1874 | NA | ||
| 3 | J. N. Smithee | 1874-1878 | |||
| 4 | D. W. Lear | 1878-1882 | |||
| 5 | William P. Campbell | 1882-1884 | |||
| 6 | Paul M. Cobbs | 1884-1890 | |||
| 7 | C. B. Meyers | 1890-1894 | |||
| 8 | J. F. Ritchie | 1894-1898 | |||
| 9 | J. W. Colquitt | 1898-1902 | |||
| 10 | F. E. Conway | 1902-1906 | |||
| 11 | Lafayette L. Coffman | 1906-1910 | |||
| 12 | Reuben G. Dye | 1910-1914 | |||
| 13 | W. B. Owen | 1914-1921 | |||
| 14 | Herbert R. Wilson | 1921-1927 | |||
| 15 | Dwight H. Blackwood | 1927-1929 | |||
| 16 | Belva Martin | 1929-1933 | |||
| 17 | George W. Neal | 1933-1937 | |||
| 18 | Otis Page | 1937-1943 | |||
| 19 | Bish Bentley | 1943-1943 | Appointed | ||
| 20 | Claude Rankin | 1943-1954 | |||
| 21 | Jimmie “Red” Jones | 1954-1957 | Appointed | ||
| 22 | Sam Jones | 1957-1981 | |||
| 23 | W. J. “Bill” McCuen | 1981-1985 | |||
| 24 | Charlie Daniels | 1985-2003 | |||
| 25 | Mark Wilcox | 2003-2011 | |||
| 26 | John Thurston | 2011-2019 | |||
| 27 | Tommy Land | 2019-Present | |||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Arkansas Commissioner State Lands. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact information
500 Woodlane St., STE 109
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
Phone: 501-324-9422
Fax: 501-682-1996
See also
| Arkansas | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands, " Homepage," accessed January 8, 2021
- ↑ Constitution of the State of Arkansas of 1874, "Amendment 73," accessed January 8, 2021
- ↑ Arkansas Code of 1987 Annotated Official Edition, "A.C.A. § 22-5-206 (2012)," accessed January 8, 2021
- ↑ Arkansas Code of 1987 Annotated Official Edition, "A.C.A. § 22-5-207 (2012)," accessed January 8, 2021
- ↑ Arkansas Code of 1987 Annotated Official Edition, "A.C.A. § 22-5-304 (2012)," accessed January 8, 2021
- ↑ Arkansas Code of 1987 Annotated Official Edition, "A.C.A. § 22-5-208 (2012)," accessed January 8, 2021
- ↑ Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, "Funded Budget - Fiscal Year 2025," accessed January 15, 2025
- ↑ Arkansas Constitution, "Amendment 70," accessed January 8, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 15, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2020," accessed January 5, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2019," accessed January 5, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2018," accessed January 5, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2017," accessed January 5, 2021
- ↑ Arkansas Online, "State salaries," updated May 2016
- ↑ Arkansas Online, "Right 2 Know State Salaries 2014," accessed November 26, 2014
- ↑ Arkansas Online, "Right 2 Know State Salaries 2012-2013," accessed August 13, 2013
- ↑ The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture, "Commissioner of State Lands, Office of," accessed January 8, 2021
| ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
 |
State of Arkansas Little Rock (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |